Time and Motion wore down Hawksmoor and held off Harmonize with a perfectly timed run Oct. 15, edging her rivals to claim her first grade I in the final strides of the $500,000 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Presented by Lane's End at Keeneland.
Video: Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup S. Presented by Lane's End (G1T)
Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez mounted a wide bid from fifth aboard Phillips Racing Partnership's homebred 3-year-old Tapit filly, whose late rally was just enough.
The Phillips family has a storied legacy in the QE II that began with Darby Dan Farm founder John Galbreath. Six QE II trophies have now been presented to Darby Dan representatives, starting in 1987 when Graceful Darby—owned and bred by Joan and James Phillips—took the third running. The family's other winners are Love You by Heart (1988), Plenty of Grace (1990), Tribulation (1993), and Memories of Silver (1996).
"I was just thinking of a long time breeding horses and hoping that the horse runs to her pedigree," John Phillips said of the moments before the race. "It's really neat to have won this race so many times. We've been so blessed to be here at Keeneland with home crowds and family. We kind of point for this race. The whole family does. And the last two outings we've had the favorite and been disappointed but it is always a thrill, win or lose, to be here—and today we won. And it was great, because we had our entire family from all over the country here."
It was Time and Motion's second consecutive graded stakes score for trainer Jimmy Toner; she took the Aug. 21 Lake Placid (gr. IIT) at Saratoga Race Course over Canadian Horse of the Year Catch a Glimpse last time out and owns two black-type victories—the Wonder Again Stakes and Memories of Silver Stakes, both won in New York this spring. Foaled in Kentucky out of the Kris S. mare Ellie's Moment, she improved her record to 5-1-1 from nine starts, for earnings of $923,150.
"You don't know how big this is," Toner said. "This is my third time for them. It's been 20 years since Memories of Silver won. I was hoping I didn't have to wait another 20 years. It was today or God knows when."
Multiple grade I winner Catch a Glimpse, favored at 8-5 in a field of eight, set off for the early lead in the QE II with Hawksmoor in close pursuit. The flashy chestnut filly set opening fractions of :22.99 and :47.46 in the 1 1/8-mile turf test, and still had a half-length advantage as three-quarters went in 1:12.41, but wound up fading to seventh in the stretch.
Hawksmoor, making her North American debut, took over off the turn for home and opened a half-length lead in the run to the wire, but lost the whisker second to grade I winner Harmonize, who also came flying at the finish. The final time on firm turf was 1:50.24.
Time and Motion, off at odds of 3-1, returned $8, $4.60, and $3.80. Harmonize paid $8.40 and $5.20 at 10-1 odds, while Hawksmoor, also 10-1, brought $7.20. Completing the order of finish were On Leave, Mokat, Stays in Vegas, Catch a Glimpse, and Queen Caroline. Try Your Luck scratched.
Of Catch a Glimpse's off-the-board finish, just the second of her career from 11 starts, trainer Mark Casse said, "She's run hard all year. Maybe she just didn't bring her 'A' game today. We'll go home and regroup."
Assistant trainer David Carroll confirmed Catch a Glimpse returned to the barn without any issues and cooled out well.
"I'm not sure what Mark and the owners have in mind, but possibly it's time to call it a year and focus on next year," Carroll said.
